Atsuo Fukui
Atsuo Fukui (敦夫 福井) is the main protagonist of Danganronpa 3: Carnival of Despair and Danganronpa 2.5: Rebirth of Hope's Peak Academy. He carries the title Ultimate Student for his hard work and determination in his education. In Chapter 9, his title changed, and he became the prophesied third Ultimate Hope. He has proven himself to be one of the best investigators during the murder cases, putting the others' faith in his intelligence. After surviving the final trial, Atsuo joins his peers and fellow Ultimate Hope in leaving the amusement park, eventually becoming the Ultimate Hope of Truth. However in Danganronpa MONOCHROME, Atsuo was transformed into a successor of Izuru Kamukura and was saved by Alice Blankenheim. Atsuo plays a large role in Danganronpa 3.5: Scattered Hope, being part of the Ultimate Hope Trinity with his teachers. He's even a main character in Danganronpa 4: Treasure of Despair, but was brainwashed and placed under the identity of Kibousame Funaeta, the Ultimate Guidance Counselor. In Danganronpa 7: Generation Hope, he appears with the other Ultimate Hopes in the final trial. Atsuo is a "Mirage" in the upcoming Tokyo Mirage Session #DR. Appearance Atsuo is a young, average height boy with black framed glasses who is 15 years old, but is really 16 years old due to his memories being erased. He has an olive skin tone. His eyes are grey, and his hair is umber brown with sierra brown highlights and a straight ahoge. While the previous protagonists had very selected colors, Atsuo has a wider range of chrome. His upper body is a monochrome style. He wears a long sleeve, half-black and half-white shirt under a black shirt with three white stripes, one stripe crossing over the other two from his right. His pants are the most colorful feature. While mostly blue, the pant legs have three colorful stripes on each, shaped like claw marks. The right stripes are red, orange and yellow, and the left are yellow-green, sky blue and violet. A rainbow belt like accessory hangs on his left side. His shoes are slip on shoes that are white with black soles. Atsuo's swimwear in the second chapter are provided school swim trunks. During the motive of the fifth chapter, he is apparently supplied with colorful swim trunks. In the concept art, it's seen that his swim trunks have a white (right) and black (left) base color with rainbow stripes. When in his awakening form, his eyes turn blue with a star symbol in them. Not much of his appearance changes except his hair turns silver. His body also gains a fiery, blue aura. In the prologue DR2.5, Atsuo is younger and usually wearing the Academy's first year uniform, without the tie. In the last episode, he changes into his DR3 outfit before partaking in Project Hope III. In DR3.5, a year had passed and Atsuo has grown more. His eyes have a blue hue to them after discovering his form of Hope. In Tokyo Mirage Sessions #DR, Atsuo's initial appearance looks the same age as he is in DR3: Carnival of Despair, the age he was before he became the Ultimate Hope of Truth. When in Carnage Link with Touma, Atsuo takes the appearance of a mage. Personality Original Unlike the previous main protagonists of the main games, Atsuo is calmer when questioned of something suspicious. He does have his limits of tolerance with people, as seen when he gets upset with a stubborn Yumi Ito, and constantly gives her his stoic/scary face that freaks out everyone, even Monokuma. This was nicknamed "The Face" by his classmates and the name stuck. During his time at the Academy, Atsuo was polite-spoken and modest about how well he does in his classes. He is also, unbeknownst to himself, a ladies' man as almost all of the girls' Academy students form a crush on him. He seems to be either oblivious to these signs or he brushes them off to remain polite to them. Usually, Atsuo is very kind and sees to the other's argument. Margaret and Alice even call him a gentleman. However, he does snap when someone highly insults him, such as when Oliver Valentine calls him "worthless and weak" and they get into a heated argument. Legato When his personality shifts to Legato, Atsuo is much more wild with rampant emotions. Kibousame History The Tragedy While not much is known about Atsuo in his early childhood, Atsuo's parents were murdered a year and a half after the Tragedy when they were residents in Towa City. Atsuo was the only one spared because he was still considered a child and the Monokuma Kids attempted to recruit him, but he escaped. He was found by an agent of the Future Foundation and taken to a child shelter. During his parents' pre-funeral a month later, he meets Makoto Naegi, who becomes his hero. During the "Final" Killing Game, Atsuo is one of the only children within the Future Foundation to not see Ryota Mitarai's Hope Video, keeping him from being brainwashed. The reason is because the kids accidentally locked themselves in a bright, soundproof room meant for solitary confinement until after the video is destroyed. The 30% Prophecy and Prior to Project Hope III Following a year after the "Final" Killing Game, Atsuo signed up to attend the new Hope's Peak Academy. However, a majority of the new school council didn't see him fit to be a Hope's Peak student, thinking he was just another high academic kid. Atsuo was going to be kicked out until Headmaster Makoto and Hajime, who recently became a council member, stepped in saying they'll teach Atsuo personally. The new student was extremely honored and grateful to have them as his mentors, and he became the student in the new Hope Course and a student of the 80th class at Hope's Peak Academy. Now living at the Academy, Makoto and Hajime worked hard to educate Atsuo in the meaning of hope. Unfortunately, being their student led to a lot of gossip about Atsuo and him being called the "Ultimate Pupil". A week into the school year, he was confronted by a jealous Zangief Valentine and his unsure brother Oliver. Atsuo and Zangief got into a fight after the older teen called him "worthless and weak", leaving Atsuo injured. After a nice word from Makoto and Hajime, their student meets Alice Blankenheim and the two instantly become friends. Through Alice, Atsuo made many friends in the 80th class. During his time enrolled, Atsuo has attracted the attention of everyone in the Academy, especially many of the female students who formed a crush on him. AI Izuru Kamukura takes advantage of this by sending him and Alice fake letters to meet at the fountain after school. Atsuo arrives first and is tricked into watching a copy of the Despair Video just before Alice shows up. The video causes Atsuo to witness his parents blaming him for their deaths and state that they hate him. Izuru believes that Atsuo is now thoroughly brainwashed and hands him a knife to kill Alice. However, the brainwash backfires and Atsuo attacks Izuru instead, blaming him and Ultimate Despair for his parents being dead and them hating him for their deaths. Izuru is forced to flee and Alice holds Atsuo back before he can hurt himself. She succeeds in breaking Atsuo out of the brainwash and she destroys the tablet with the Despair Video with the knife. Atsuo tears up from the experience of seeing his parents hate him until Alice assures him that his parents loved him to the very end and she hugs him in comfort. On the last day of the school year, coincidentally Atsuo's birthday, Atsuo is oblivious as to why his mentors wanted to spend the day with him outside the building. As the sun is going down, the three return to the school to find that Atsuo's classmates had set up a carnival for Cherry Blossom Day and to celebrate his birthday. Atsuo is very stunned and then enjoys having fun with his friends. Alice pulls him to the side and she confesses her feelings for him. The two began dating over the course of their break. Before the beginning of Atsuo's second year, the clairvoyant and teacher Yasuhiro Hagakure has a vision that the Ultimate Despair will make a comeback to destroy hope and Makoto and Hajime won't be enough to stop them. Hiro says that they will need the "Third Hope" to save the world, but he isn't able to make out who it is. While his predictions are only 30% accurate, the Future Foundation isn't going to take any chances and begin Project Hope III to find the "Third Hope". Atsuo quickly asks to participate, despite knowing that he will be stripped of his memories of his teachers and his time at the academy. Makoto and Hajime allow him to take part in the project along with 23 other students and tell him to never lose hope no matter what. During the transport to their destination, Atsuo has his memories erased for the project. Despairful Four Arc Part 1 - Park Life of Mutual Killing 'Prologue' Atsuo wakes up in a classroom with 23 other students. After introductions, a bunny named Usami appears, saying they're on a class trip. 'Chapter 1' 'Chapter 2' 'Chapter 3' 'Chapter 4' 'Chapter 5' 'Chapter 6' 'Chapter 2' 'Chapter 7' 'Chapter 8' 'Chapter 9' Before the final trial, Monokuma has the remaining nine students tour one more attraction: a new ninth park known as "Hope's Peak Recap". 'Epilogue' Alternate - Danganronpa MONOCHROME Atsuo is framed for the murder of Akio Fujiwara, who was later revealed to have committed suicide and was put through an execution. In reality, Izuru Kamukara faked his execution with a trap door. Part 2 - The Cardinals of Despair Part 3 - Treasure Hunt Life of Mutual Killing Part 4 - What is "True" Hope? Part 5 - 7 Part 8 - Stellar Life of Mutual Killing Spin-Offs/Post-Danganronpa ''Tokyo Mirage Sessions #DR'' Main article: Atsuo (Mirage) Relationships Makoto Naegi Atsuo met Makoto in Towa City when his parents were killed. Makoto was awed that he wasn't brainwashed like the other kids and called him someone to remember. Upon their meeting, Atsuo was filled with hope and admiration for the Ultimate Hope, wanting to be like him to bring hope. It is because of this important meeting that Makoto had become the most important person to him, even when his memories are erased during Project Hope III. Hajime Hinata Alice Blankenheim Atsuo met Alice a long time before Project Hope III. Suki Tsukara Girls of the 80th Class Boys of the 80th Class Izuru Kamukura Atsuo encountered AI Izuru for the first time before the Carnival Trip Killing, having been brainwashed by the Despair Video. However, the brainwashing backfires and Atsuo attacks Izuru out of rage and blaming him for killing his parents. Izuru finds Atsuo's reaction to be interesting as he did not expect his transformation. Kurone Despite being suspicious of Monokuma's assistant at first, Atsuo puts more faith in Kurone than most of his fellow classmates. She seems to trust him enough to give him small hints about the culprits, and even tell him her real name. It is revealed by Monomi after Kurone's execution that she trusted him because he reminded her of her lover, Hajime. To this day, Atsuo has kept the Kurone doll. Whenever Atsuo is under the effects of JES, one of his "personalities" uses Kurone as a replacement of Monokuma. Other Ultimate Hopes Megami Seinaru "Mary" It's possible that Atsuo is aware of Megami's existence as his chosen successor as Megami tells Daisuke that she had felt very honored to have met him. Quotes Danganronpa Tokyo Mirage Sessions #DR "Wha... What happened...?" - after being freed Execution Execution name: Prince of Lies This is only available in the official Fan Book and Danganronpa MONOCHROME. Atsuo is sweating bullets in suppressed horror with accusing fingers pointing towards him. Suddenly, shackles slap down around his wrists and ankles and on the ends, Monokuma uses a remote to pull at them, forcing Atsuo to kneel. --- In Danganronpa MONOCHROME, Atsuo is saved last minute via a trap door, but this is unseen by the other surviving students. Stats/Abilities School Atsuo is a very devoted student in all of his classes, even those he has little interest in. He puts full effort into his studies and in-class activities. Hope of Truth Atsuo has a strong sense of seeking the truth from his classmates and the mysteries of the world. He has low tolerance for lies, believing that telling lies makes others unable to trust one another and hurt one another. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #DR Atsuo is the second "Mirage", entrusted to Touma Akagi. While Atsuo is not combat oriented, he has a surprisingly adept ability in performing Magic in the Monodome. In the Tokyo Mirage world, Atsuo is shown to be very talented as a singer. One of his best singles is the song, "Monochrome". He has also performed with Touma as a guest character on the same show and performed a song with Natsume called "Shelter Me". Gallery Atsuo - Standstill.JPG|Expression - Standstill Atsuo Redraw.JPG|facial redraw Atsuo Fukui.JPG|original Dismissive and Unnerved.JPG|Atsuo Sprite Sketches (2018 redraw) Trivia * The name "Atsuo" can be translated as "friendly man", while his surname "Fukui" means "fortunate". * His Japanese voice is by Haruka Tomatsu, who is also a singer. ** His song "Monochrome" is a remix version of Haruka's own single "Monochrome" that is played in the anime series, Star Driver. * His dubbed voice is Jesse McCartney, a song artist and famous voice actor of Roxas and Ventus from the Kingdom Hearts series. * Not including Toko Fukawa, Atsuo is the first protagonist that wears glasses. * According to an interview with the design team, Atsuo's DR3 outfit represents his element of Hope, Truth. His monochrome upper body represents views of "black and white", meaning two separate meanings in everything. The colorful bottom half represents the "full picture", meaning every detail in seeking the truth. ** It's said that his swim trunks parallel his undershirt, with the white on the right instead of the left and the black on the left instead of the right. Category:DR3: Carnival of Despair Category:DR3.5: Scattered Hope Category:DR3 Characters Category:DR3.5 Characters Category:DR4: Treasure of Despair Category:DR4 Characters Category:Alive Category:Main Protagonists Category:Class 80 Category:Future Foundation Category:DR2.5: Rebirth of Hope's Peak Academy